Josh Pitts #24 of the Cal State Fullerton Titans defends Dikymbe Martin #15 of the UC Riverside Highlanders through the first half of their males’s basketball recreation in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Austen Awosika #10 of the Cal State Fullerton Titans heads up courtroom after stealing the ball from Ajani Kennedy #10 of the UC Riverside Highlanders throughout their males’s basketball recreation in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Khalil Ahmad #14 of the Cal State Fullerton Titans shoots after being fouled by Dragan Elkaz #Zero of the UC Riverside Highlanders throughout their males’s basketball recreation in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Jackson Rowe #34 of the Cal State Fullerton Titans scores on an alley-oop previous Menno Dijkstra #32 of the UC Riverside Highlanders throughout their males’s basketball recreation in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Landon Kirkwood #12 of the Cal State Fullerton Titans watches a three-pointer drop in as head coach Dedrique Taylor watches on the sidelines throughout their males’s basketball recreation towards UC Riverside in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Dikymbe Martin #15 of the UC Riverside Highlanders appears to cross as he’s defended by Josh Pitts #24, left, and Landon Kirkwood #12, each of the Cal State Fullerton Titans, throughout their males’s basketball recreation in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Khalil Ahmad #14 of the Cal State Fullerton Titans scores previous Dragan Elkaz #Zero of the UC Riverside Highlanders in the course of the first half their males’s basketball recreation in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Austen Awosika #10 of the Cal State Fullerton Titans steals the ball from Ajani Kennedy #10 of the UC Riverside Highlanders throughout their males’s basketball recreation in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Dikymbe Martin #15, left, and Dragan Elkaz #Zero, each of the UC Riverside Highlanders, battle for a rebound in entrance of Davon Clare #5 of the Cal State Fullerton Titans throughout their males’s basketball recreation in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Johnny Wang #33 of the Cal State Fullerton Titans celebrates after drawing a foul on Menno Dijkstra #32 of the UC Riverside Highlanders throughout their males’s basketball recreation in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Johnny Wang #33, left, and Josh Pitts #24, each of the Cal State Fullerton Titans, have fun on the bench throughout their males’s basketball recreation towards UC Riverside in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Cal State Fullerton head coach Dedrique Taylor on the sidelines throughout their males’s basketball recreation towards UC Riverside in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

UC Riverside head coach David Patrick on the sidelines throughout their males’s basketball recreation towards Cal State Fullerton in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Cal State Fullerton head coach Dedrique Taylor on the sidelines throughout their males’s basketball recreation towards UC Riverside in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

UC Riverside head coach David Patrick helps an official with a name throughout their males’s basketball recreation towards Cal State Fullerton in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Cal State Fullerton cheerleaders carry out throughout a timeout throughout their males’s basketball recreation towards UC Riverside in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Cal State Fullerton Titan Varsity Band exhibits their help throughout a free throw by Jackson Rowe throughout their males’s basketball recreation towards UC Riverside in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Cal State Fullerton President Framroze ÒFramÓ Virjee and his spouse Julie watch from behind the bench in the course of the males’s basketball recreation towards UC Riverside in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Cal State Fullerton cheerleaders in entrance of the Titan Varsity Band in the course of the males’s basketball recreation towards UC Riverside in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Tuffy the Titan says hiya to a carved model of himself through the Cal State Fullerton males’s basketball recreation towards UC Riverside in Fullerton on Thursday, January 17, 2019. Cal State Fullerton defeated UC Riverside 69-61. (Photograph by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

FULLERTON — Cal State Fullerton obtained the win it wanted Thursday night time, beating UC Riverside 69-61 at Titan Health club for its first Big West Convention win of the season and ending an eight-game stretch that included seven losses.

UCR didn’t get the win it wanted, however first-year head coach David Patrick thinks his gamers will make good use of the expertise as a younger Highlanders workforce seems for its id.

Kyle Allman Jr. was 7 for 11 from the sector and scored a game-high 21 factors, Khalid Ahmad added 14 factors and Jackson Rowe had 9 on a night when Fullerton coach Dedrique Taylor unfold the minutes round his bench and received good performances from gamers who don’t all the time discover the highlight.

Jamal Smith, Austen Awosika and Davon Clare every contributed on offense in addition to the defensive finish, placing strain on UC Riverside’s perimeter capturing recreation and limiting the Highlanders to a season-low 4 Three-pointers.

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“Putting pressure on their 3-point shooting was part of our emphasis this week,” Taylor stated. “This was a staff that was averaging 11 Three-pointers a recreation and we actually didn’t allow them to get snug in that offense.

“We had three good days of practice this week, double days, and we wanted to get everyone involved and get better acquainted with ourselves,” Allman stated.

“We’re all confident in each other and know what we can do. We just haven’t had a lot of periods when we’ve been able to work on that. Tonight was one of our better games.”

The Titans (5-12, 1-2 Big West) used an 11-1 run on the finish of the primary half to take a one-point lead into halftime. The 2 groups stayed shut till halfway by means of the second half, when the Titans dropped 4 Three-pointers throughout a 14-Four run, by Smith, Wayne Arnold and Ahmad twice. Rowe added a dunk off a lob from Ahmad to make it 60-48. UCR (6-13, Zero-Three) received inside six within the final minute.

Freshman middle Callum McRae and Dominick Pickett every scored 13 for the Highlanders and Dikymbe Martin had 11. The Highlanders had 14 turnovers. McRae was 6 for 6 from the sector however didn’t get many good takes care of the break.

“We thought we had an advantage in the post and scored there early,” Patrick stated. “However they didn’t double us as a lot from the sting as that they had in earlier video games, they usually have been good at contesting our photographs.

“Our struggle has been scoring in the lane. We had opportunities but didn’t take advantage of them or had shots rim out. We’re missing too many two-pointers.”

Patrick used a nine-man rotation Thursday and 7 of the gamers have been freshmen or sophomores. Riverside has solely 5 returning gamers from final season.

The Highlanders misplaced to Cal State Northridge by some extent and performed properly in an eight-point loss to UC Santa Barbara earlier than Thursday.

“We’re a young team, and you’re not going to win many games on the road relying on 3-pointers,’’ Patrick said. “We’re getting young guys a lot of minutes and we’ve been ahead in every game we’ve played this season. It just takes time for the team to get comfortable with each other, especially on the road.”

The Highlanders went after the Titans’ issues within the submit, McRae scoring on a dunk, hook and financial institution shot within the first 5 minutes. When it wasn’t McRae within the pivot, it was senior Menno Dijkstra, from the Netherlands, who hit a pair of jumpers. That they had 14 of the Highlanders’ 31 first-half factors.

The Titans led 19-18 when the Highlanders went on a 12-2 run, McRae’s blocked shot resulting in a Martin fast-break basket and foul. Dijkstra and Elkaz Dragan hit back-to-back Three-pointers and Dijkstra completed the run with an inside basket and free throw.

That put Riverside forward 30-21, however the Highlanders didn’t hit a subject aim within the ultimate six minutes of the half. Allman began and completed an 11-1 Fullerton run with Three-pointers, and Rowe added a Three-pointer and a pair of free throws to offer the Titans a 32-31 halftime lead.